Transformers Dark Horses
by TheAlph
Summary: After Optimus Prime and his team goes missing after a routine exploration goes wrong, Ultra Magnus sends a unit of disposable Autobots to find them. Upon arriving at Earth the team finds out, with horror the Ark broke apart before impact scattering Autobots and Decepticons for miles. Will the Autobots find Optimus and his team before the Decepticons do? Contains OC characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The day was gloomy with overcast skies as Mark Taylor pulled into the driveway of his father's neglected house. In the past few years he rarely, if ever talked to his father and now he regretted being so stubborn. Two weeks ago his father had died, all alone in a hospital without a soul visiting him.

In the past few days Mark has been battling several mixed emotions of guilt, sadness, and hatred. For his whole life Mark hated his father since he rarely showed any emotion to the son he fathered. Mark's dad had basically shut down right after his wife passed away, unexpectedly in a car accident when Mark was only two.

Though Mark treated his father badly he was still left something in the old man's will. He just hoped it wasn't the house since it was probably a money pit.

"Okay dad, what did you leave me." He took an envelope from his back pant's pocket, tore it open and began to read his dad's overly neat handwriting. "'What I am leaving you is in my garage, under the tarp. You are not to tell anybody about what your going to see'." He read aloud.

Mark shook his head, folded the letter then took out a yellowed garage opener. It took a few presses before the door eventually rattled upwards. What greeted him was a lot of junk and a tarp that seemed to be covering a car.

He let out a groan of frustration as he ripped off the tarp so he could see his dad's cherished 1966 Ford Mustang. He cursed as he picked up a wrench to throw at the car's windshield. This is what his dad loved more than him so why leave it in the will?

While in mid-swing something made Mark pull his arm down. Though it was rather dusty the car appeared to have rolled off the factory floor just yesterday. But how can that be, his father never drove the stupid thing in years.

"Why did you want to keep this dad?" Mark questioned as he went for the door handle. "What is so important about this vehicle..." His voice trailed off as he began to study the Mustang's interior. "What the...?"

There was a manila envelope sitting on the dashboard with Mark's name written in bold letters. What was this? Mark grabbed it, unhooked the clasp and pulled out a thin, plastic sheet. Though it was intriguing Mark ignored it to a read a letter.

_'Dear Mark,_

_If you are reading this then I have died and I am terribly sorry that we were never close. But this letter isn't an apology, instead it is a warning for you. If you have not heard about Decepticons then there is still time_.'

Mark took a look around the garage wondering if his dad had gone crazy. "What the hell is a Decepticon?"

'_If you never heard about Decepticons let me explain briefly who they are. Decepticons are a race of robots that crave power and sources of energy. They will kill without thinking and there is no real way to defeat them unless with some help. That is where the Mustang comes in. There should be a plastic insert that came with this letter_.' Mark studied the plastic sheet with it's strange lettering. '_Please be careful and remember, do not tell anybody about this_.'

"Dad, what do you want me to do with this sheet of plastic?"

The ten by eight sheet was completely transparent except for some colored squares and the strange writing. What was so important about this item that his dad would put it in the will?

He took out his cell phone, punched in a number and as it rang he began to walk around the cramped garage. Every now and then he would glance into a box only to see photo albums or stacks of composition books.

"Mark, wow long time no talk." Came Anderson Miller's voice from the other line. "What's going on?"

"I'm in town going through my dad's stuff and I was wondering if you want to grab a bite to eat."

"Sure, you want to do it today?"

"Yeah, where and when?"

"Charlie's just off the strip. Should be quiet enough."

After he hung up Mark began to dig through the first box he came across only to find more composition books. Why would his father keep so many journals? He gingerly took one out to see that the book was titled: Summer - 1968a.

As he flipped through the book he spotted sketches, photos and his father's handwriting. One drawing in particular caught his attention and he quickly went to search for it. Once he found it he saw a robot that was far more advanced than what you would expect from the late sixties.

Curious, Mark picked another notebook up and quickly went through it until he came across more intricate drawings. He knew his dad was an amazing artist but this was something different. The detail given to each of the sketches was something straight from a movie studio.

He began to read the journal entry that followed a sketch of a dented robotic arm.

'_Trace's damaged arm was repaired today by Perceptor, however only time will tell if it'll be fully functional. Hopefully the 'Cons won't attack while he's down. As for Steve, he's a bit shaken up but otherwise will be fine_.'

Curious as to why his dad would write this information down Mark began to take boxes out to his car. He will have to piece things together back at his hotel but for now he had to meet up with his friend.

**XXXX**

Ten miles away Anderson sat in a booth at Charlie's with a menu in front of him. Though he knew what to order he still enjoyed skimming through the menu just in case something new was added. After several seconds he put the laminated sheet down so he could look out the window.

Why is it that Mark never came to visit? Anderson knew Mark had problems with his father but surely he could visit his friends. What did his friends ever do to deserve the silent treatment?

Five minutes later Mark came into the cafe, went straight to Anderson's table and threw a manila envelope down. Anderson took one look at his friend before reaching for it.

"What is this?"

Mark sat down across from Anderson with a shrug. "You got me and it's not the only strange thing that I found. My dad kept journals of strange events that had happened when he was our age. Stuff that is still boggling my mind."

Anderson slowly pulled the plastic sheet from the envelope and brought it to is face. "What kind of language is this?"

"Wish I knew but I think the answers lay within my dad's journals." Mark pulled a composition book from within his coat and opened it to show an intricate drawing of a robot. "I think my dad might have been sane after all."

"No, what it means is that your dad has been watching a bit too much Terminator."

Mark closed the book to show Anderson the date on the cover. "This is from 1968! Terminator wasn't around back then."

Anderson shook his head. "Look, he left you a mysterious package with a dire warning about robots that crave energy. Sounds too fictional to be real."

"Anderson, did your dad leave you anything when he passed away?"

"As a matter of fact he did." Anderson quickly took out is wallet and started to go through it. "In his will he said not to go to his safety deposit box until your father passed on."

Mark took the bank's business card that Anderson offered him, read it then smiled. "How about we check it out after lunch?"

**Several Miles Away**

The highway underneath the 1967 Ducati sped by with such speed that any other vehicle would have blown it's engine, however Velocity was not your average motorcycle. In fact even her rider was not really all human after an incident left him morphing into a living machine.

"Velocity, how much farther until we reach our destination?"

Velocity revved her engine as she moved into another lane to avoid a slow moving vehicle. "At this speed, less than an hour."

"Excellent." Her rider said as he leaned forward to reduce drag. "It's been awhile since we've since our friends."

"Hopefully it was our friends that tripped the signal and not a 'Con."

"Yeah well, we'll worry about that when we get there."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Inside a small room at a local bank Mark sat with Anderson waiting for a manager to bring in a safety deposit box. For some strange reason Anderson's father told him to not to come here until Mark's own dad passed away. Wonder why he had such a strange request in his will? What could be so important?

The bank manager came into the room with a metallic box and placed it before Anderson.

"Would you like me to stay as you open the box?"

"Nah, I'm good." When the manager left Anderson took a key and unlocked the box. "What do you think might..." His voice faded as he pulled out a key. "My dad left me a key and an envelope."

"Well, open it and see if he wrote a letter."

Anderson tore open the envelope, confusion on his face as he pulled out a business card. "Just Enough Storage, number twenty-nine. Guess I'll just have to check it out and see what is there." He turned to Mark with a huge smile on his face. "What are you doing tomorrow morning?"

**XXXX**

Three hours later Mark found himself sitting at a desk in his hotel room so he could study the odd piece of plastic his father had left him. What could it possibly mean? He gently ran his fingers across the squares and felt a tiny, electric current go through his skin.

"That's strange." He put a finger on a large square causing it to light up. "Okay...but why isn't it in English..." His voice faded as the strange letters morphed before him into English. "What the hell is this thing?"

He was about to touch another letter when his cell phone began to blare out music. This made him jump in surprise and look at the alarm clock. It was nearing ten o'clock who could be calling this late?

When Mark checked the phone's screen he noticed it was strange number. "Hello."

"By now you have probably gone through your father's things."

Mark went to the only window in the room and chanced a look outside. "Who is this?"

A lone figure stepped out from the shadows, his face masked by a tinted motorcycle helmet. "A friend of your father's. May I come inside?"

"How can I trust you?"

"You probably have seen the robotic sketches in your father's journal, right?"

Mark pulled away from the window to look at the stacks of notebooks sitting by the bed. "You got an hour."

He barely had put his phone down when there was a knock on the door. Surely it couldn't be the strange man but then again, they were about to discuss robots.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" When he pulled the door open he was greeted by a man with eerily blue eyes. "Name is Mark."

"Novo." The man named, Novo made his way passed Mark and into the hotel room. "Where is your friend?"

Mark slowly closed the door, curious as to who this man really was. "What friend? There's no one else here."

Novo nodded. "Good." He sat down on the bed, a smile spreading across his face. "I was a friend of your father's and know about the bots."

"So, he wasn't crazy."

"No, far from it." The man flipped through one of the journals, his smile getting bigger as he did so. "We were so innocent back then."

Mark shook his head. "There is no way you're my father's age. You look..."

"Younger, I know." Novo took a deep breath then pulled his sleeve up to reveal a metallic arm. "I was human once..."

"What happened?"

Novo pulled his sleeve down, got up then went to the door. "That's a story for another time. I'll be outside, so if you need anything let me know."

**XXXX**

When Novo left the hotel room he made his way back down the stairs and to where Velocity sat. Because of the accident he no longer needed to sleep and only took small naps through the day so his body could rejuvenate itself. He made himself comfortable under a tree then opened his satchel. Since he now had a new body chemistry he had to eat more calories in a day than the average human.

Velocity, who had transformed into her more natural state sat down next to him. "Do you think they are capable of becoming the warriors we need them to be?"

Novo bit into an apple and shrugged his shoulders. "We have no choice."

"Do you think your blood can revive our friends?"

"My blood is the closes thing to pure Energon that is found on this planet." He gingerly pulled a device from his pocket, it's glow radiating the area around them. "I've managed to purify it even more by using this."

"Perceptor, oh how I miss that nerd." Velocity took the small device between two fingers. "So, this is what you have been messing with? You finally got it to work?"

Novo gave his friend a smile, not real sure himself if it'll work. "Only one way to find out. Mark triggered Beltline's beacon, tomorrow we will recover him from Richard's garage. In the meantime, I need to eat."

**Early the Next Morning**

It was way too early for Anderson to be awake but thanks to his coffee with three pumps of espresso he was feeling all right. Currently, he sat in his Ford Taurus waiting for Mark to arrive. Wonder what his father left him? Would it be another car? Surely it wouldn't be that piece of junk Bronco his father promised he would get running before he died.

A light tap on his window signaled Mark's arrival to the storage unit. Anderson let out a low moan as he opened his door to the cool, desert air.

"All right, lets check this unit out." Anderson took the key out from his coat pocket and went to the rolling garage door. "Dear God please don't let it be the Bronco." His shoulders slumped forward upon seeing the beat-up red, late model vehicle. "Great, just great."

Mark gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. "Maybe it's just like the Mustang."

Anderson went to the driver's side door, pulled it open and took a peek inside. "Definitely has the same dashboard." He slowly sat down, his hands rubbing the dust off the steering wheel. "Wonder what kind of history this vehicle has?"

"Good news is, it has the same symbol as the Mustang. Is there an envelope inside?"

With one quick look around the cab Anderson managed to find a dusty manila envelope hidden above the passenger visor. Inside was a plastic sheet similar to one the Mark had found and when Anderson began to push random symbols it lit up with a holographic image of the Bronco.

"Whoa!" Anderson saw that the strange lettering had changed into English allowing him to type in something else. This time a massive robot appeared holding an even larger blue, glowing sword. "According to this, the Bronco has a name, Blade Runner."

"So, does that mean the mustang is a robot too?" A huge smile spread across Mark's face as he ran a hand through his hair. "Hard to believe."

The sound of a motorcycle brought the men's attention back to their vehicles. A short man wearing blue jeans, a black leather jacket and a full face helmet had arrived, his demeanor telling Anderson he was here on business.

Anderson slowly got out of the Bronco, his eyes not once moving from the man who was now coming towards them. "Who is that?"

"A friend." Mark went to the man and shook his head. "Novo, what brings you here?"

Novo took off his helmet showing Anderson eyes that almost appeared fluorescent blue. "I fear we don't have a lot of time." He went to the Bronco, opened the hood then took out a vial. "I advise you two to take a step back."

The two friends did just that as Novo poured a strange, glowing liquid somewhere in the engine compartment. Novo took a step back as the entire vehicle began to shudder.

Anderson took a few timid steps forward, curious as to what was about to happen. The Bronco or Blade Runner let out what sounded like a mechanical shriek as panels began to shift throughout it's body.

Blade Runner let out one last yell before his body finally managed to shift into full robotic form, a twenty foot tall behemoth with glowing blue eyes. He rotated his head before kneeling before Novo.

"Novo, good friend. I see you are doing well."

Novo shook the robot's hand. "It has definitely been awhile."

A smile almost seemed to appear on the robot's face. "Velocity, good to see you."

Anderson spun around to see that Novo's motorcycle had changed into a feminine robot. She was much shorter than Blade Runner, probably only ten feet tall but Anderson could tell by the many scars on her body she has seen plenty of battle.

"So, there are more of you?" Mark asked.

"Yes, we are the Deceptibots." Blade Runner held out his hand to show Anderson a 3D holographic image of an entire unit of robots. "We need to find our friends before the Decepticons do."

Anderson took a deep breath knowing if he was to commit to helping these robots he will never live a normal life again. He had always dreamed of doing something that would let people remember his name and now here was that chance.

"Okay, I'm in. Let's do this before I change my mind."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

With Blade Runner now awake, Mark and Anderson put their own vehicles in storage knowing they no longer needed them. Soon, Beltline will be with them and the mission to find the others will began.

According to Novo, just a few of their team members were in different storage units throughout three states. Thankfully Novo has kept up with payments on all of them so he knew exactly where each one were. Lets just hope they'll find the rest before Mirror Blade's team awakens from their stasis on the moon.

"I'm not sure if I should be elated or scared about what is happening right now." Anderson took a long drag of his cigarette before blowing smoke out the window. "What do you think about all this?"

"Not sure." Mark sighed as he flipped through one of many photo albums from his father's collection. "Unfortunately, it appears we were destined for this duty no matter if we wanted it or not."

Anderson shook his head. "What do you think about Novo?"

"I like him, though he is a bit rough around the edges."

A chuckle came from the speakers as Blade Runner pulled into a driveway. "He grows on you, don't worry."

Mark quickly got out, went to the garage door and pulled it open with just one tug. The red Mustang was right where he had left it, surrounded by piles of boxes and photo albums. It was weird to think that this vehicle will come to life in just a matter of minutes.

Novo moved past Mark, a bottle of glowing build liquid in his hands. "Mark, if I were you, I would move outside."

Once Mark was in the yard Novo popped open Beltline's hood so he could pour the liquid into a small compartment in the engine. Within seconds the Mustang began to shiver as the Energon helped it come back to life. A loud roar emanated from the vehicle as panels throughout its body began to shift.

Within minutes the Mustang had transformed into a small robot with large canons. It rotated shoulders and head as though stretching before bringing it's attention to Mark.

"You are too young to be Richard, so you must be Mark." Beltline knelt to get a better look at Mark and Anderson. "Last time I saw you, you were just a toddler."

"Beltline, we can catch up later. Right now we need to find the others." Novo pulled a thin sheet of plastic from his coat and brought a holographic image to life. "Okay, Sonicblaze isn't too far from here, so lets move."

After Beltline transformed, Mark hopped into the passenger seat knowing this robot was now his partner. Strange how his dad hid this secret for so long, maybe that's why he became so reclusive.

"You look just like your father." Said Beltline through speaker's in the dashboard. "Since you are now here I guess that means Richard is dead."

Mark nodded. "Yeah, he passed away two weeks ago."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, he was a great man."

"Really? Sure wasn't a great father."

Beltline let out a deep sigh. "He missed your mother and brother dearly."

"Brother, I had know..." Mark's voice faded as realization hit him. "That would be why the accident hit my dad so hard. I never knew."

"I'm sorry, I thought he told you."

"My dad rarely talked to me, he just spent his time in the garage." Mark let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head. "Really wish I got to know him."

"Maybe through his books, you will." The glove compartment before Mark popped open showing more photos and a weapon. "Those pictures he cherished more than anything."

Mark took out a Polaroid to see it was of his father and in his arms was a baby barely a month old. What made the picture a bit strange was Beltline kneeling next to him.

"You knew them for awhile, didn't you?"

"Your father lived a secret life way before he stumbled upon our unit." Images and video began to play on the windshield. "He was part of a new unit in the military that would specialize in space technology. More importantly to see if there was in fact alien life forms."

Mark shook his head. "Then how did he found you guys?"

"Completely by accident. He was camping in New Mexico with a group of friends when they spotted a small sliver of our shuttle sticking out of the ground. Well, being who he was, he called in the military and that is how he met Novo."

"What happened to Novo? Why is he part machine?"

"That is a story he will have to tell you himself."

**One Hour Later**

At the next storage facility Velocity sped past several abandoned stalls until finding the one they needed. Novo took out a key, went to the rusty garage door then stuck it into a brand new lock.

It took a few tugs with his mechanical arm to get the door open and once he did, a smile crept across his face.

"Sonicblaze, so nice to see you again."

"Looks like he's seen better days." Blade Runner knelt on one knee to get a better view of the commander. "Has he not been getting Energon?"

Novo shook his head as he popped the hood. "I did the best I can considering his reserves are much greater than any other bot." He pointed to four, mechanical suits against the far wall. "We need take those with us."

"So, that is where they disappeared to."

"I had to keep them safe." Novo gently began to pour the liquid into an Energon port hidden inside the engine compartment. "Here goes nothing."

After he emptied the full vial Novo quickly took a step back as the 1967 Impala began to shudder. Soon it began to screech as the robot hidden within began to shift after years of dormancy. After a minute of painful contorting metal and gears, Sonicblaze knelt before him.

"It has been over thirty years. Why have I not been awaken sooner?"

"The second generation of humans have not been of age yet." Explained Velocity. "But sadly, Richard and Eugene are no longer with us."

Sonicblaze lowered his head then nodded. "Very well. What about the unit?"

"Naito, Windcharger, Trace and Pipes are hidden in storage units within the tri-state area. As for the others, they should still be safe inside the shuttle."

"Then lets move out." Sonicblaze transformed back into the Impala. "Novo, you and Velocity lead the way. Blade Runner, you take the rear."

Once everybody was in position Novo jumped back onto Velocity to began the two day trek to where Naito's unit sat. They'll stop if needed but if the signals were true Mirror Blade was beginning to stir. They had to get the whole team together before he awakens or the whole Earth could be in peril.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Moon - Six Hours Later**

Air escaped from Mirror Blade's system through his mouth, a gasp full of moon dust and other particles. The first to come on-line was his audio receptors then with a few flickers, his optics brought him images. He was still inside his shuttle and with a quick turn of his head saw that nothing has changed. In fact it was as though all were frozen in time except for him.

"Computer, what year is it?" When he didn't get a response he began smacking the side of his head. "Come on, for once function properly!"

"Date is May 15, 2014."

Mirror Blade let out another groan as he attempted to move joints not moved in years. What had happened to him and why was his team all in stasis? He gingerly got to his feet, his body swaying as it stabilized itself.

"Computer, what the slag happened to us!" Mirror Blade made his way to a large gaping hole in the hull. "Where are we?"

"The shuttle is currently on a moon that orbits a planet called, Earth. It crashed here, 2,126 years ago."

"How is the team? Any casualties?"

"There are five casualties and three crew members unaccounted for."

Mirror Blade shook his head as he went to Delta, his lieutenant and chief scientist. "Computer, began reboot of all functioning crew members." He took a hand and rubbed a fine layer of dust off a keyboard. "What about Sonicblaze and his crew?"

"Their spark signatures have been spotted here," The large screen before Mirror Blade flickered to life to show a map with three glowing dots. "So far it appears to be only Sonicblaze, Beltline, and Blade Runner."

"Excellent." He heard a low moan behind him and turned to see Delta moving his head. "Welcome back."

Delta took a look around before bringing a hand to his head. "Mirror Blade, is the mission still on?"

"Yes it is and I know right where to start."

**Phoenix, Arizona**

Loud rock music blared from shelf speakers as Spencer Mayborn sat at an art table drawing a robot. He always loved sci-fi, especially stories that involved the future. After he finished with some shading his eyes went to a clock to see that his father would be home any minute.

Spencer let out a few curses as he quickly went to the kitchen to throw a frozen lasagna into the oven. After that he put some garlic bread into a toaster oven praying his father would be late.

The sound of keys outside told Spencer his father was home on time, as usual. When the door opened, a tall man dressed in a polo shirt and jeans came inside with a few grumbles.

"Dinner better be ready!" Spencer's father went into the kitchen, headed straight to the oven and pulled the door down. "Why is it still frozen?"

Spencer coward in the door frame of his room knowing he had messed up big time.

"I'm sorry..." Spencer flinched when his father slammed the oven door against the stove. "It won't take long for it to get done."

"I expected to have dinner ready when I came home!" His father went up to Spencer and took hold of the latter's chin. "Were you drawing again?"

Spencer slowly nodded his head. "I'm sorry, I lost track of time." He held back a cry as his father slapped his cheek. "I promise I won't do it again."

His father let out a few curses, took hold of Spencer's t-shirt then lifted the boy off the ground. "Drawing will never get you anywhere! Have you even done your homework?" When Spencer didn't answer he shook the boy. "Did you!"

Spencer was thrown into his room, his back slamming hard against the floor. He quickly got up as his father came in with a fury, his eyes showing Spencer a beating was about to take place.

Instead of hitting him, Spencer's father took hold of several of his drawings, including the current one at the desk and ripped them up.

"This is a waste of time!" He threw the scraps at Spencer before slamming the door shut.

Tears flowed freely from Spencer's eyes as he stared down at his ruined art. He has dealt with his father's attitude long enough it was time to leave this place. Ever since he was six his father would yell or hit him, no more. Tonight Spencer will run and never look back.

**Arizona - Two Days Later**

A massive jarring motion startled Anderson awake and at first he had no idea where he was. Letting out a few choice words he checked his watch to see it was only four in the morning. He ran a hand down his face before looking out the windshield at an endless desert.

"Blade Runner, do you really know where you're going?"

"No, but I trust Novo and Velocity." He bumped across a few large rocks as he continued to follow Beltline in the convoy. "How did you sleep?"

Anderson groaned as he fell back onto the bench seat. "I wish I was still asleep."

"Not too far now." Novo's voice came through the speakers. "About twenty miles, lets just hope the company is still there."

"What do you mean, Novo?" Said Beltline. "Please tell me Naito hasn't been sold off."

Anderson threw his sleeping bag over his face in frustration. "You mean to tell me, an alien life form advanced enough to transform might be in some collector's hands or in a junkyard?"

"Possibly, that's why we need to hurry." Said Novo.

In Beltline, Mark was awaken by all the chatter coming from the radio and let out a groan of frustration. It was difficult enough to get sleep inside the cramped confines of a 66' Mustang but now he had to deal with a conversation he had no part of.

"Sorry, I'll put the comms on internal link." Beltline swerved to avoid a large bolder, his vehicle mode to low for the rough terrain. "Hopefully we'll get there soon, not real sure how much longer I can take this."

**XXXX**

In front of the convoy Novo used the computer inside his helmet to navigate the rough terrain. With the nano-machines in his system he was able to process information much quicker than the average human. Now, his brain was actually a living computer and thus why his eyes glowed blue.

"We're almost there." Velocity made her way onto a dirt road where she was able to pick up speed. "Hopefully the building is still there."

"It better after all the money I gave them."

The road came to an abrupt end just outside a fence causing Velocity to skid to a stop. Novo flipped up his visor as he stared through the chain link at an abandoned warehouse. He let out a few curses as he went to a thick chain that locked all visitors out.

Velocity, who had transformed shook her head. "Lets just hope he's in there."

Blade Runner went past them and in one push of his hand got the gate open. "I swear Novo, if Naito isn't in here I'll make sure you suffer."

Novo ran towards the abandoned warehouse to see several windows had been broken out. He took off his helmet as he made his way inside the vast, empty space to see that scrappers had come and gone.

He quickly made his way into an old office to see paperwork scattered all over the floor. After a quick sweep of the wall he found the wooden panel that he knew could be removed to reveal a hidden space.

Novo went up to it hoping that the owner had left something behind. He reached out a hand, pushed the panel and peered inside. There, sitting all by itself was an envelope with his given name on it.

"What's going on? Where's this Naito?" Asked Anderson as he came into the office. "This place looks like it hasn't been used in years."

"Not sure." Novo opened the envelope and read the note inside. "Perfect! Let's go!"

Novo went through the warehouse until he came across a steel plate bolted to the floor. He waved Blade Runner over so the Autobot could pull it off. Once he did all in the warehouse could see a 1967 Chrysler Imperial.

Blade Runner knelt down with a shake of his head. "You got lucky."

"I knew they wouldn't let anything happen to him." Novo jumped into the pit, got the hood open then pulled out a vial. "All right, here goes."

**Mesa, Arizona**

Though he knew it would be rough living on the streets, Spencer had a hard time blending in with the other homeless. Being only fourteen he was small and knew because of that he got a lot of unwanted attention. So, he always kept to the shadows making sure his ball cap was pulled over his eyes.

Currently Spencer found himself sitting at a McDonalds with a two dollar meal before him. Though he stole all the money in his father's wallet, nearly sixty dollars in total he had to be fugal with his money. Eventually he will have to start panhandling, which was dangerous but what other option was there.

After he ate, Spencer threw away his trash and made his way back outside to the dry heat of Arizona. Wonder what he could do today to pass the time?

He put his board down and began to skate down the deserted sidewalk. Today was Saturday so he wasn't too worried about being seen by the police. And though he has been gone for two days there has yet to be a missing person's report put out for him. Just showed Spencer how much his father actually loved him.

Spencer was so lost in his thoughts he didn't see the green Jeep until it almost hit him. The vehicle screeched to a stop causing Spencer to hit the passenger door.

The window rolled down to show an older gentleman behind the wheel. "You okay, son?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I think I dented your door."

"Don't worry, glad to see you're okay. Need a lift anywhere?"

Spencer shook his head. "Nah, thanks though." His voice trailed off when he saw the gentleman twitch ever so slightly. "No way...are you a hologram?"

The man chuckled. "What makes you say that?"

"You glitched." Spencer leaned into the window to check out the Jeep's interior and noticed no key in the ignition. "There's no key. What are you?"

"You're rather observant." The passenger door opened on it's own causing a huge smile to spread across Spencer's face. "Get in, son."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Once Naito was with the team, the convoy of vehicles began to make their way down the rough dirt road. Mark found himself once again in Beltline who was right behind Velocity and Novo. He was about to snuggle back into his sleeping bag when Beltline came to a sudden stop. Mark let out a loud grunt as his body slammed into the dashboard.

"What now?" Mark's voice faded as he stuck his head up to peer through the windshield. "Holy shit! What happened to Novo?"

Mark quickly got out to check on the strange man now laying motionless beside Velocity. Not knowing what had happened Mark gently shook the man and got a moan.

Velocity knelt down with a shake of her head. "He's been missing his meals and now the nano-machines are attacking his biological systems." She gently pulled off Novo's helmet and began to nudge him. "Novo, stay with me."

Anderson showed up with several energy drinks in hand. "Sonicblaze said he needed high calorie items."

"Good idea, any protein shakes?" Asked Velocity as she sat Novo up by leaning him against her leg. "That'll help until we can get into a larger town."

"Yeah, I think I have a few left."

When Anderson went to get the items Mark popped open one of the energy drinks and gently tipped it to Novo's lips. Unfortunately the man didn't stir making it difficult for Mark to get the liquid into the former's mouth.

"Rodney, you have to wake up for me." Velocity gently shook Novo until his blue eyes cracked open. "You need to get some calories in you."

It took four energy drinks and three protein shakes for Novo to finally be some what coherent. Since Novo was still wobbly Anderson decided to ride Velocity so Novo could rest inside Blade Runner.

Back inside Beltline Mark ran a hand down his face as his mind went to Novo. Will the man be all right? What did Velocity mean when she said that the nanos were attacking his system?

"He'll be fine..."

Beltline's voice betrayed him though, Mark could tell something was wrong. Instead of bringing it up Mark looked out the window at the passing scenery.

"To be on the safe side, Blade Runner with Sonicblaze and Naito are going to head towards Freedom Base in New Mexico. Thankfully Velocity has the last two storage units in memory. Should take only another day and then we can meet up with the team."

Mark shook his head. "Are you sure Novo will be all right?"

"Yeah, he'll just be hurting for awhile."

**Moon**

Before Mirror Blade were ten of his best soldiers, Decepticons hand picked by Shockwave himself. Soon they will began the two day journey to Earth, a trip he was not looking forward to. It will involve converting back to their primitive state and using their own bodies as comets.

"Okay, I will take Torque, Vapor, Torsion, and I guess Procax too. But Procax, if you try to start something with Torsion again I swear," Mirror Blade slapped the larger Decepticon hard against the helmet. "I'll make sure to extract your spark through your tailpipe!" Procax let out a loud grumble and then gave a nod. "Good, I'll also take Surge."

As for Delta's team I want Roughstuff, Snipe, Mechnix and Jabber with him." Mirror Blade went to a Decepticon similar to height and build as him. "Infernus, I would like for you to go with them but try not to burn the shuttle down."

Infernus smirked. "Not giving you any promises, sir."

Mirror Blade let the soldier's remark slide as he turned his attention to a large Decepticon standing in the back, his arms crossed before him.

"Striker, you will remain behind. Prepare the ship for possible prisoners."

Striker nodded. "How will you get them here?"

"I've been working on a teleportation device." Delta chimed in. "Unfortunately, Shockwave's orders put a hold on the project but I'm really close to getting it finished."

Mirror Blade gave his scientist a nod then went to the computer. "According to reports large chunks of the Ark broke apart over the southwestern part of United States." He brought up several states that could be possible crash sites. "Which means the Autobots are strewn about and will be hard to find."

Torque shook his head. "How will we find them? And when we do, where will we put them? I know Delta is a genius but it will take even him several cycles to get that device running."

"Don't worry I already have plans for when we do take in prisoners."

"And if we are to run into Megatron and his goons, what do you want us to do?" Asked Roughstuff. "According to Shockwave he cannot be let in on what we are doing since he might try to take over."

Mirror Blade nodded. "True, that is why if we are to run into Megatron we have orders to kill on sight. Any other questions?" When his team remained quiet for several minutes he knew they were ready. "Let's move out!"

**One Hour Later**

As Beltline drove Mark took the time to look through more of his father's journals in the hopes to find out more about Novo. But all he saw were sketches of Autobots and schematics for devices that even today would be considered advanced. Why was his father working as a custodian and not running his own company? What had happened to change everything for him?

"If you are looking for Novo, your father made sure not to mention him much in the journals."

Mark let out a long sigh of frustration as he picked up a photo book. "Why? What is so important with Novo?"

"He was born in 1939."

"So...wait a second..." Mark's eyes got real wide as he quickly did the math in his head. "But he doesn't look eighty. Is that because of the nano machines in his system?"

"Correct. Novo might out live even your children."

"Wow, that's messed up." Mark quickly went through the photo album until he came upon a picture of three men and a teenager. "He hasn't changed much since my dad knew him. Wonder what it's like to see your friends grow old? Did he have any family?"

"Yes..." Beltline's voice trailed off as an alarm began to squeal. "We have an Energon reading! Velocity, did you catch that?"

"Sure did, it was the green jeep that just passed us. Let's move!"

**XXXX**

The sound of tires squealing woke Spencer from his nap and made him snap around to see a man on a motorcycle making a u-turn. His heart began to race wondering if it was possibly some secret government agency but then a late model Mustang fell in behind the biker. Who were these people and what did they want?

"Looks like my friends have found me." Hound slowed so he could pull into an empty lot on the side of the road. "Don't worry, judging by the readings they are fellow Autobots."

Spencer's eyes got real wide as a smile spread across his face. "You mean more robots like you?"

"Exactly. Now stay calm, I got this."

The man on the motorcycle pulled off his helmet as he approached the driver's window. Spencer leaned forward a bit to get a good look at the man who seemed to be in his early thirties.

"Hey, name is Anderson what's yours?"

"Spencer."

"And I am Hound."

The man didn't flinch one bit when the vehicle spoke showing Spencer he already knew what the Jeep was. How long has Anderson known about the Autobots? How many more are there running around?

"According to Velocity you're one of Optimus Prime's men. Want to come with us to get the rest of our team?"

Spencer gave Anderson a big nod. "Most definitely."

**Thirty Miles Later**

As Anderson made his way to the storage unit he could hear Velocity right behind him. According to Velocity the vial he held was full of Novo's blood. Just thinking about that made him look once again at the glowing, blue liquid. How can Novo even live without any blood cells? What kind of human is he?

Once at the unit Anderson unlocked it then pulled the rickety garage door upwards. Before him sat a small car hidden underneath a dirty, tan tarp. He took hold of the cloth, gave it a good yank then whistled at seeing a red and white 1967 Shelby Cobra.

"Wow, you guys really know how to pick vehicles." He popped open the hood then began to look for a compartment to pour the liquid into. "Where exactly do I need to put this?"

Velocity knelt down to get a better look inside the storage unit. "There should be a compartment near the back that appears to be for washer fluid."

Anderson moved a bit until he saw what Velocity was talking about. He pulled the cork out of the vial then gingerly poured half of the liquid inside the compartment. Within minutes the Shelby began to rattle as the Transformer within awoke from his long slumber.

Windcharger let out a loud howl as his body contorted into it's more natural form and like Beltline he was of small stature.

"Velocity, where is Novo?" Windcharger's voice was much deeper than Anderson thought it would be.

"He had a little incident, but will recover." A smile seemed to appear on her face as she took a step backward. "We should get going. There is just Pipes left then we can head back to Freedom."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

When Novo came to he was greeted by a sharp pain throbbing deep inside his left arm. He let out a loud hiss before slowly sitting up to get a look out the windshield. It was dark out and the only thing passing by Blade Runner's headlights was never ending desert. How long was he out for?

"Feeling any better?"

Novo moved the digits on his left hand, still not use to hearing the joints clinking. He then bent his elbow which had always been stiff but now seemed rather fluid. Gingerly he took off his leather jacket and t-shirt so he could get a look at his arm. What he saw made him swallow a little too loudly.

To the unfamiliar eye it would appear as though nothing has changed but to Novo he could clearly see the nanos had done their job. Though it was only 1/2 an inch of change, it told Novo that if he didn't stay on a strict diet he would turn into a machine himself.

"Hey, Novo you all right?" Blade Runner's deep, booming voice showed his worry. "There's a town coming up. You should get something to eat."

Novo nodded. "Good idea." He checked his watch and let out a few curses. "How far out are we? If it's the town I'm thinking about the gas station closes at ten."

"Fifty minutes but we can burn rubber if we need to."

"Yeah speed it up, just keep an eye out for police."

Blade Runner turned his lights off as he picked up speed. "It's a good thing we're equipped with night vision."

Novo chuckled as he allowed his body to relax. "Man, I miss you guys."

**Several Miles Away**

After the team recovered Pipes from a rundown storage facility they began the final leg of their journey. Currently Mark found himself wide awake and dying for a nice, hot shower. When was the last time he actually was able to clean himself without using a bathroom sink?

Anderson loudly grumbled as he tried to shift his 6'2" frame on the cramped rear seat. "Man, next stop we take I'm going to see if I can hop into one of the other guys." He leaned forward to get a look out the windshield. "Beltline, do you ever get tired?"

"Definitely, we have to recharge just like humans just not as often."

"And do you use normal gasoline or does it have to be something completely different?"

"We have to convert your gasoline into working fuel for us. Unfortunately it's just not powerful enough for our race to survive on."

Anderson somehow got himself into the passenger seat, a feat of flexibility that surprised Mark. He then started to laugh as his friend fought with the seat controls so his head wouldn't hit the roof.

"Dude, you're like a giant in this car."

"Yeah, no offense Beltline but I never really liked tiny sport cars. I'm going to see if Pipes wouldn't mind if I crashed inside his cab for the night."

Beltline chuckled as he situated the seat for Anderson. "Your father never liked riding with me either."

Once comfortably situated Anderson tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "That Spencer kid, he's only fourteen. You feel right about bringing him in on what could possibly turn into a massive alien blood feud?"

Mark shook his head. "No, but according to him his mom is dead and his dad could care less about him. Besides, he seems pretty leveled headed."

"Yeah, right now but what if he has to fight? You see how small he is?" Anderson pivoted his head to get a look at Mark. "I mean, would you trust him with your life?"

"Good point but there was a teenager involved in the unit back in the sixties. I saw him in one of the photo books my dad had kept."

"Right, and where is this kid now?" When silence only followed Anderson laced his hands and put them behind his head. "I'm going to attempt some sleep."

**XXXX**

Since the rest of the team was on their way, Novo decided he would wait for them at the gas station, the last stop before Freedom Base. After nearly wiping out the store's meager food supply Novo made his way back to Blade Runner who had parked himself in the darkest part of the small lot.

"Clerk told me he's actually getting another supply of food in tomorrow." Novo put the bags in the passenger seat then reached inside one for apples and a can of ravioli. "Besides with Mark, Anderson and now Spencer with us we need some food at the base. So I'm going in tomorrow to gather up some perishables."

"What have you been doing all this time while were in stasis?"

Novo sat in the driver's seat and gave Blade Runner a shrug. "Putting away massive amounts of money, living off the grid and waiting for the signal from Beltline that things are a go."

"Do you ever miss them? Their fathers?"

"Yeah, but I couldn't risk showing my face to them not after what happened to my family." Just thinking about his wife and son almost brought tears to Novo's eyes. "Anyway, once we're back at Freedom we need to wake up the rest of the team and continue the search."

He had no idea when he fell asleep, but when Novo woke up with a start he saw the sun cresting over a nearby mesa. Rarely, if ever did he sleep for more than eight hours and it began to worry him. What were the nanos doing to his body?

"You okay?" Blade Runner's voice seemed rather worried as he turned on the dome light. "You seemed to be in a lot of pain and I couldn't wake you."

Novo quickly pulled his jacket sleeve up but didn't see any changes. "Yeah, I'm actually feeling a lot better just starving."

He raided the closest grocery bag and began to eat like a man discovering food for the first time. Midway through his fifth pop tart it suddenly accord to him the last time he had felt this way. It was shortly after the accident, when he woke up from a month long coma and discovered his left arm had to be amputated. The shock didn't end there though. A metallic one had actually begun to grow, the nanos doing their job to repair his damaged body.

"We need to get you to Freedom Base so Beaker and Perceptor can check you out."

"Right, but we need to wait for the team to arrive." Novo finished eating three more pop tarts before starting on some apples. "How far out are they?"

"About thirty klicks."

"They made good time, must not have stopped to rest themselves." After Novo ate another apple he chugged down a couple of energy drinks and was working on his third when a supply truck pulled in beside the store. "Hang tight I'm going to have a chat with the driver."

The driver of the box truck brought his hands up, a look of terror on his face. That was when Novo realized he wasn't wearing his sunglasses and quietly cursed himself for his lapse in thinking.

"Their contacts." Novo quickly took out a wad of money to let the driver know he wasn't going to rob him. "Not going to hurt you. Just wondering what you have inside the truck."

"Mostly paper goods but I do have some fresh produce from a local farm. There might be some canned goods in there as well."

The sound of a large engine brought Novo's attention toward the street where he could see Pipes and the rest of the team making their way to the gas station. Sitting in alt-mode inside Pipes' truck bed was Velocity telling him that Mark and Anderson were sleeping. A new vehicle, a dark green, late model Jeep brought up the rear.

Another vehicle, this one belonging to the store's owner pulled in beside the truck and parked. The older gentleman had met Novo last night and he gave the latter a smile as he went to the front door.

"Now I see why you need all that food." The gentleman unlocked the door and waved for Novo to come in. "Your friends have some nice cars."

Novo gave the man an innocent shrug as he made a bee line to the coolers. "We love our classics, that's for sure."

The door dinged open causing both men to look to see who had come inside. A young boy came into the store, a huge smile on his face. Novo instantly knew who the kid was all thanks to Blade Runner who kept him up to date on the latest news. Apparently the team had come across Hound and this kid Spencer, who is only fourteen.

Spencer went up to Novo with a two shopping baskets in hand. "Thought you might need some help."

"Thanks. Grab some milk, cheese, eggs anything that we can use."

While the boy went to grab the needed items Novo went to the small freezer aisle to grab some dinners. Once he cleared out the whole case he went to the front counter where the driver stood with a smile on his face.

"Bill told me you're a good man." The driver handed a set of keys to Novo. "Third gear tends to stick a bit but she'll run for awhile."

Novo took the keys and pocketed them. "Thanks, really appreciate it."

The bell above the door jingled, a signal that another customer had come inside. Novo could hear the man's boots make their way to the cooler then abruptly stop.

"Hey, where did all the food go! Twerp, let me have that milk!"

"Sir, I'm getting items for our camping trip." Said Spencer.

Novo turned to see a large, beefy man towering over the boy. "Leave him alone."

"Or what?" Said the man.

Really not wanting to get into a fight Novo made his way between the man and Spencer. "Spencer, take the items to the counter." He then brought his attention back to the man in front of him. "Listen, I'm real sorry about the food but my friends and I are camping out..." The man swung at Novo with a large fist, the latter quickly catching it with his robotic hand. "I really think you need to calm down."

The man's eyes narrowed but he didn't back off, instead he just glared at Novo. "Impressive, but not good enough."

Novo began to squeeze knowing if he really wanted to he could crush the man's hand. Eventually the man did back off but not before uttering some choice words under his breath.

After directing the young kid to the snack aisle Novo made his way back to the counter so he could pay for the food. Novo had put his hand inside his jacket to get an envelope of money when he suffered a hit to the back of the head that nearly immobilized him. Novo then felt a hand spin him around causing his stomach to flip.

It took only seconds for Novo to realize that the man was now standing before him with a can of paint in one hand and a small knife in the other. The man sneered at Novo then swung the can of paint towards him. Novo easily dodged the large item but by doing so felt a sharp pain in his thigh.

"Not so tough now, are you?" The man yanked the knife out causing Novo to hiss at the pain it caused. "What the hell? Why is your blood blue?"

Novo held up his hands hoping the man will stop this nonsense. "Listen, I don't want to cause any problems. If you want some milk, you can have it."

The man let out a primal scream as he lunged at Novo once again. With instincts built in from the nanos and years of training Novo managed to avoid being stabbed or hit. But no matter how fast he was the knife did make contact three times causing deep cuts on Novo's chest.

"What are you!" Shouted the man.

A scream escaped Novo's mouth as he ran towards the man with his left hand. He was aiming at the solar plexus in the hopes it'll knock the wind out of his attacker. What happened next would haunt him for years to come.

Instead of hitting the man, somehow Novo's hand had turned into a sharpened blade which he shoved right through bone as though it was only marrow. The man's eyes got wide with horror as his body began to slide down the blade, his blood dripping onto the store's linoleum floor.

"Dear God..." Novo slowly began to pull the blade out not liking how he could actually feel it go through tissue and bone. "I'm sorry...I..."

Large amounts of blood began to bubble out from the man's mouth as he slumped to his knees. "You are not...human..." With these final words he folded over, eyes still wide in horror.

Novo glanced at the blade that was his left arm to see blood and tissue coating it's shiny service. What was happening to him? He spun around to see Spencer behind him, tears streaming down the boy's face.

Bill, the store owner took out his shotgun and aimed it towards Novo. "I'm not sure what's going on but I'm giving you five minutes before I call the police."

**XXXX**

Anderson was sound asleep when he was violently woken up by somebody pushing his feet out of the way. Before he could react to what was going on Pipes shot forward causing Anderson to worry. He sat up to see Spencer clutching something against his chest. The boy's eyes were wide, his demeanor showing Anderson he had just seen something horrific.

"You okay?" Spencer quickly shook his head as he curled into a ball. "What happened in there?"

"He killed that man..."

Spencer began crying causing Anderson to feel a bit uncomfortable since he had no idea how to deal with a crying child.

"Uhm...who killed who?"

"Novo...he's not human."

Anderson gave the kid a shrug. "Well, I could have told you that."

Spencer shook his head . "You didn't see it." The boy turned to look right at Anderson, tears streaming down his face. "His hand turned into a blade!"

"Okay..." Anderson drew the word out as his mind tried to process what the boy just told him. "What do you have in your hands?"

"A block of cheese." Spencer put the food on the dashboard so he could wipe a sleeve across his face. "I really think Novo didn't know what he did until it was too late."

**Freedom Base**

As Sonicblaze went through the large shuttle making sure things were still operational his mind kept going to the call he had received from Beltline. Apparently something was seriously wrong with Novo and now the team had to go into deep cover. And there was only one bot who could figure Novo out.

"Naito, is he ready to come out of stasis?" Sonicblaze asked as he walked into the duel level stasis facility. "Because we really need him right now."

Naito gave Sonicblaze a quick nod before heading towards a red and teal robot laying on an examine chair. There were already wires attached to the spark chamber and a few others to the bot's neuro-processor.

Sonicblaze gave Naito a nod to proceed. "How long will it take?"

"Not very." Naito began to type away on a keyboard, his attention not once wavering from a large screen. "Okay, here goes." He punched in a command sequence then moved back to the bot's side. "Perceptor, time to wake up."

**Washington D.C**

The basement wasn't really lavish, but seventy-two year old William Bowman made do. He shuffled to the coffee machine, poured himself a cup then made his way back to his cluttered desk. He put on reading glasses so he could read the latest report to come down the line.

According to several people in rural Georgia there had been some unexplained light phenomenon. William really hated dealing with folklore but until he officially retires he had no other choice.

"Mr. Bowman, got some files for you." A young man, named Colt came into the room with three thick portfolios in hand. "Do you really enjoy it down here in the dungeon? Surely you could be doing something upstairs."

William shook his head. "If only you knew..." He stopped in mid-sentence upon seeing an all too familiar symbol on a thick, blue folder. Ever so slowly he ran a hand against the paper as though worried it'll disappear. "Cyan clearance, wow it's been years since I've seen this."

Colt leaned forward hoping to get a peek at what was in William's hands. "I've never seen that symbol before."

"I need for you to live immediately. And make sure the door is locked behind you."

"Sir, maybe I could help..."

William shook his head. "This is way above your pay grade. Now leave."

Once Colt did as he was told, William quickly grabbed a letter opener so he could slice through the tape holding the folder together. Apparently the Cyan word base still worked and had flagged this information as vital. And once he began reading he saw why.

"Novo, what are those nanos turning you into?"

**A Few Hours Later**

When the team arrived at Freedom Base Mark got out of Beltline confused as to what he was seeing. He expected the tail end of a space ship sticking out of a mountain not a dilapidated building. Granted the garage door to the small warehouse was the largest Mark had ever seen.

"Home sweet home." Blade Runner had transformed making sure Novo, who has been in shock since the store incident was safe in his right hand. "All right buddy, lets get you inside and see what's happening to you."

"Wow, I don't think I'll ever get use to them transforming like that." Said Spencer as he made his way into the warehouse.

Anderson clapped a hand on Mark's shoulder and shook his head. "And to think you were once a New York stock broker."

Ignoring Anderson's little jab, Mark made his way inside the warehouse just in time to see Blade Runner disappearing into the floor. Pipes came in next, waving for Anderson and Mark to follow him.

Once Mark stepped onto a metal platform Pipes pushed a large button sending it down into the ground. It took a few minutes of traveling before the platform came to rest in front of a large, metallic sliding door.

Pipes reached out, entered a code then motioned with an arm to the massive interior within. "Welcome, to Freedom Base."

Mark slowly took a step forward not believing what he was seeing before him. The interior of the shuttle was massive and as he followed Pipes he could see several hallways leading to places unknown.

"The human bunker is this way." Pipes turned down a large hallway and stopped at a small door built into the wall. "Knowing Novo he's probably been keeping up with maintenance so you should find it in move in condition."

Anderson chuckled as Pipes went back the way he had come. "Move in condition?" He put a hand against a panel and let out a low hiss. "I think the wall just bit me."

"On the contrary, I was making sure you are indeed related to a Eugene Miller." A booming voice said from no where in particular.

"Did the..."

Anderson gave Mark a slow, careful nod. "Yeah, I think the wall just talked."

**XXXX**

"Put him down on the table so I can began the full body scan." Perceptor went to a computer console to type in some commands. "Novo, you need to tell us what happened? I can't help you unless you do."

Novo shook his head. "I killed him..."

Blade Runner crossed his arms and shrugged. "He's been saying that since the store incident."

Beltline held up a data pad so Perceptor could see the video he managed to get by hacking into the store's systems.

"Thankfully, most information on Earth is now kept digitally so I was able to get this."

After watching the video Perceptor brought his attention back to Novo. "Is this your first time in a high stress situation since the accident?"

Novo slowly nodded. "Yeah, I've always tried to remain under the radar."

"I see..." Perceptor rarely was quiet but he had to be in order to process all that he was seeing and hearing. "It appears the nanos have gone instinctual. I've never seen anything quite like it before." He began the body scan but mid-way through he had to pause it. "Sonicblaze, I need a word with you in private."

Once out of audio range Sonicblaze let out a deep sigh. "How bad?"

"When he got into the accident and was completely covered in your Energon, it infused his body with your coding."

"Meaning exactly?"

"Novo, no longer has any human bone structure. What I found in the scan is simply remarkable. He has traces of Tutonium, Tetrinite, and Durabyllium among other metals that make up a Transformer inside what should be his skeletal structure. Sonicblaze, Novo is virtually indestructible."

Sonicblaze ran a hand down his face then looked at his own armor. "Shockwave infused me with Tetrinite and Durabyllium so I could live through my EMP bursts."

"Exactly. And the nanos in your system has learned to work with both metals making you tougher than even Ironhide."

"So what your telling me, by somehow surviving an accident that killed his family, Novo may never actually die?"

Perceptor slowly nodded his head. "He only looks a little bit older than when we met him in 1966. Novo is seventy-nine years old, he should be looking his age but he isn't. It's a medical breakthrough."

"Okay, do what you can to make him comfortable." Sonicblaze was about to walk away when he thought of something else. "Still doesn't explain how he was able to morph his hand into a weapon. Won't he need a t-cog for that?"

"Yes, but with the nanos his brain has changed into what the human's call, a super computer." Perceptor shook his head as looked at his dear friend laying on the examine table. "Novo is no longer human, he's something completely new, even to me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Somewhere in Kansas**

The drive to the decommissioned missile silo was a long and tedious but once Allen Tindale arrived a smile spread across his bearded face. After he had his ID checked by the guard at the gate, Allen made his way through the large compound until he came upon a hill with a large, metallic door in it's side. Here he parked his truck by another vehicle very similar to his then got out into the cool, Midwest air.

Allen barely had time to clip his ID badge onto his jacket before Josh Redman, a nanorobotics engineer came up to him.

"Mr. Tindale, you need to see this new specimen. I really do believe it might be alive."

"Dr. Redman, how many times have I told you that these are machines and there is no way they can have feelings." Allen made his way to the large, metallic door but before going in he spun around to get a look at the young doctor. "Is the specimen down in the lab?"

Dr. Redman gave Allen a quick nod. "Yes, but it's making a lot of noise."

Allen made his way inside the hill, the warm air a welcome relief then began the trek to the labs hidden several floors below. On his through the many hallways and stairs Allen's mind went through the latest report from New Mexico.

According to several police officers a man was killed by someone with blue blood. That someone had actually manipulated their arm into a weapon, a feat of engineering that Allen's team has been trying to do for years. Whoever this person was, Allen had to get them here to the bunker.

A metallic shriek made Allen stop dead in his tracks, the sound so hauntingly human that for a brief moment he almost believed Dr. Redman's theory.

Dr. Redman pushed past Allen so he could get to a door at the end of the catwalk. "It's been doing that any time we take a sample from it's nano-armor plating."

"And how long has this been going on?"

"A week. Before that, it was whimpering as though in pain and asking to speak to whoever was in charge."

Allen took a deep breath to control his frustration. "It's a machine that can't feel pain or speak. Probably just security protocols built into it's system to stop people from tampering with it."

After Dr. Redman typed in a code, swiped a card and gave his thumbprint the door slid open to reveal a massive room with multiple catwalks. It was here that Allen could see, laying prone on a large platform a giant robot.

"It's fully intact?"

Dr. Redman nodded. "As far as we know, yes. And it's systems are on-line."

Allen made his way up a flight stairs situated by the robot, a huge smile on his face. "Amazing." When he was eye level with the machine Allen could see the beauty and complexity of it's design. "We've had parts and half of one but never an intact specimen." He nearly jumped back at seeing it blink. "Have we gotten anything from it?"

"Yes, in the last two weeks we have learned quite a bit from it." Dr. Redman handed Allen an electronic tablet, a smile on his face. "Right now we're trying to see if we could duplicate it's nano-armor."

"Please...help..." The machine's voice was deep and held a strange metallic resonance. "Can't...too...much..."

Allen shook his head. "Fascinating. Have you tapped into it's processor yet?"

"No, but we plan to soon."

"Excellent." Allen took another look at the machine to see it almost had a look of pain on it's face. " That other machine we found, it really never was fully on-line, was it?"

"No, why?"

Allen squatted down to get a closer look at the bright blue orbs that appear to be looking right at him. "I think they might have some form of artificial intelligence built into their programming." He stood back up to his full height and turned to the Redman. "Whenever you figure something out, page me. I'll be in my quarters."

**Freedom Base**

After his complete check-up Novo slowly made his way to the human barracks so he could check on Mark, Anderson and Spencer. Once inside he could hear laughter come from the community room so instead of joining them Novo went through a narrow opening by the kitchen that led to the sleeping quarters. It was through here that he found his small room where he spent a lot of time in even when the base sat empty for years.

He was about to close the door when Anderson came running past only to stop and spin around to look at Novo.

"Hey, how you doing?"

Novo gave the man a shrug. "Doing all right,considering."

Anderson's eyes went to Novo's left hand then back up to his face. "Thanks for keeping this place clean and stocked up."

"No problem." Novo waved for Anderson to come in so he could close the door. "You a scotch drinker?"

"Yeah." Anderson began to study the many photos taped to a wall above Novo's desk. "So, your name was Rodney at one point?"

Novo handed the younger man a small glass of scotch then sat down on his bunk. "It was my given name but I was declared deceased in an accident so I had to come up with something different."

Anderson took a sip of the scotch, let out a low whistle of approval than pointed to a particular picture. "The accident that killed your family?"

"Yeah..." Novo's voice faded off as his mind went to his son. "According to the records neither you or Mark have children."

"Nah, Mark's too busy being a hot shot in New York and ladies," Anderson sat down on the office chair with a heavy sigh. "they love a man with a badge but not one who spends more time nose deep in cold cases than with them." He swirled the scotch before taking another sip. "This is some good shit."

Novo chuckled. "Well, it is over twenty years old."

Anderson raised the glass in a salute. "Point taken. So, when do we get these suits and start training?"

"Tomorrow. By then the rest of the team will be awake and can help out."

**XXXX**

The first system to come on-line was his audio receptors allowing Mimic to hear everything around him. His optics then flickered to life so he could see the medical bay ceiling. After his targeting system calibrated itself Mimic slowly sat up, his mechanical body aching after years of being dormant.

"Good, you're awake." Perceptor appeared at Mimic's side with a metal rod. "Lets go over your systems real quick."

Perceptor randomly moved the rod so Mimic's system could adjust then target the movement. "Any lag at all?"

Mimic shook his head. "No, systems look good." He glanced around the room to see Beaker and Echo on examine chairs. "What brought us back?"

"Beltline's signal. Eugene and Richard have passed on, their children are here now along with Novo and a young child named, Spencer."

"Shockwave...have we heard anything from him?"

Perceptor shook his head. "No, I think putting ourselves in stasis helped get him off our trail for a bit." He let out a deep sigh as he went to Beaker's side. "But Shockwave did send Mirror Blade and you know as well as I do, neither will stop until Prime is in their procession."

**Earth's Orbit**

Though he hated being in comet form, Mirror Blade and his team knew it was the only way to travel without a shuttle. In just fifteen hours they will crash land, an event he was really not looking forward to doing.

"Shockwave, for you sir." Jabber reported through the comm-link.

"Patch him through."

"Mirror Blade, so nice to see you are finally back with me. Have you got a lead on Optimus Prime's position?"

"As a matter of fact we do, we're heading to Earth now."

"Excellent. I want daily reports sent to me." Shockwave paused for a few seconds before continuing. "If you fail in this mission I will finish you myself."

**Freedom Base**

It was rather strange being underground and Spencer knew it'll take some getting use to. Currently he sat in the community room watching an eighties movie that he had found in the TV cabinet. But no matter how hard he tried, his mind kept going back to what had happened at the general store.

"Hey, you and me need to talk." Novo came into the room with a thin album in one hand and can of cola in the other. "Brought you something to drink."

Spencer's mind instantly flashed to the incident and he found himself terrified of the person before him. He quickly got up hoping to leave the room before he ended up like the man in the store.

Novo let out a deep sigh as he sat down on the couch. "I know you're scared but trust me, I am too." He took a look at his metallic left hand then back up at Spencer. "I had a son, he was about your age when he died."

"The accident?" Spencer slowly sat down across from Novo then eyed the album. "What happened?"

"Routine patrol..." Novo shook his head as he leaned forward. "My wife, unborn child and son were inside Sonicblaze when the attack occurred. Before I knew it Sonicblaze was smashed against a mesa, bleeding energon everywhere." He took a deep, unsteady breath as his real hand began to caress the worn cover of the album. "The energon got into our blood stream through injuries...but it proved too much for my wife and son. Unfortunately for me..." His eyes went to his metallic hand. "I survived...but the energon altered me."

Spencer didn't know what to say so instead he gradually picked up the album and opened it up. The first picture he saw was of Novo in military fatigues standing beside a young boy.

"You were a soldier?"

Novo nodded. "Yep, I was one of six soldiers assigned to work along side the Autobots in a project called, Cyan. After the incident we feared that Shockwave would come to Earth so that is why, once we were sure every threat was eliminated we put the team in stasis."

Spencer shook his head in disbelief. "Why tell me all of this?"

"Because I want you to know that what happened, what you saw, was something I had no control over." Novo slowly got up, a gentle smile on his face. "My son's room is across from mine, your welcome to have it."

**XXXX**

Inside the command center Beltline sat at his console getting a feel of the latest technology available to him. As a computer junky he was rather happy to see the human's have advanced enough so he could now link to just about anything with just a few keystrokes. And currently he was having a field day with NASA since they finally did make it into space and are now far more advanced then they were back in 1968.

After several minutes of catching up on countless old data Beltline then began to look through current events. What he saw made him stand so abruptly he nearly teetered backwards all thanks to the large cannons on his shoulders.

"ACOS, get Sonicblaze now!"

"Right away." Came the response from the on-board computer.

It took only a minute for Sonicblaze to come running into the command center, his optics instantly going towards Beltline's screen.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Beltline nodded. "The humans are tracking twelve comets heading right towards us and estimate their landings to be in about fifteen hours."

Sonicblaze rested hands onto his hips and shook his head. "Looks like Mirror Blade is on his way." He tapped a button on the side of his helmet. "Perceptor, is Beaker awake yet?"

"That I am, sir. What's going on?" Came Beaker as a reply.

"Wake up the team. Looks like war is coming towards us."

**The Next Afternoon**

When Mark stepped into the large training room he saw three unfamiliar Transformers including one roughly the size of a human. Among them was Novo who stood wearing a dark, blue suit of armor. So, today is when everything will change for him and Anderson. Will they be able to tolerate the training needed to fight along side the Autobots?

Novo slowly made his way forward, his suit barely making a sound as he did so.

"Your suits are behind me, but first we need to get a sample of your blood so we can calibrate them."

Anderson pointed to the human size transformer, a puzzled expression on his face. "Does he really have fur?"

"I do as a matter fact and the name is, Salvus." Salvus made his way to Anderson with a smile on his face. "My alt-form is a Newfoundland dog species."

"Wicked." Anderson brought his attention back to Novo. "So, what are we waiting for? I want to see what those suits can do!"

Mark shook his head at his friend's enthusiasm really wishing he felt the same way. But ever since his arrival to Freedom Base he was beginning to have second thoughts. He was just a stock broker who barely exercised except maybe to run after a taxi. And yet here he was about to be trained on how to help a mechanical alien species save their world.

Novo went up to him, a gentle smile on his face. "I'll need a vial of your blood."

"Sure." Mark went to a chair and sat down so Novo could get what he needed. "So, my dad was really involved back in the sixties?"

"More than that, he invented a lot of the suits' tech." After taking the blood, Novo put a cotton swab against the wound and told Mark to hold it for a bit. "Your father was a genius, shame the world really couldn't see it."

Mark shook his head confused at what Novo meant. "But, if what you are saying is true then there would have been major advancements in science. And why did he not continue with the job? Why become a simple custodian?"

"Let's just say Richard Taylor isn't your father's birth name." And with that Novo left leaving Mark with more questions than he had before.

**XXXX**

After a long trip all William wanted to do at the moment was take a shower and get some much needed sleep. Unfortunately those comforts will have to wait until he talked to Novo. Strange how his friend changed his name to something more fitting to the transformers. But then again, if he kept going by his birth name than several red flags will began to pop up.

William pulled his rental car into the large shed then grabbed his overnight bag from the passenger seat. He just locked the doors when the growl of an engine told him he had company.

He spun around to see a bright green Plymouth Barracuda. "Trace, old friend."

"Dr. Bowman it has been awhile." The Autobot transformed into his humanoid shape and knelt before William. "What brings you here?"

"I know what happened at the store. Apparently Cyan protocols have not been phased out and Novo's file was flagged."

Trace let out a deep, mechanical sigh. "He's down in the training room."

William was about to turn around when he thought of something. "Trace, why are you on patrol?"

"Mirror Blade is coming. We have less than eight hours before he comes to Earth." Trace's eyes moved upwards then back down. "We had to wake Echo."

"Really? So, it has begun then?"

Trace nodded. "I'm afraid so."

**XXXX**

Upon hearing that the good Doc was back with them Sonicblaze quickly made his way to the receiving bay. Once there his optics fell on a frail, old man withered from age and hard work. When he last saw William Bowman he was in his mid-twenties and full of life. Sonicblaze couldn't believe the person before him was the same man.

"Yes, we humans do look a bit different as we age." Doc said, reading Sonicblaze's expression. "But, it is good to see you again, Sonicblaze."

Sonicblaze let out a heavy sigh. "I fear you are not hear with good news. Is it Novo?"

Doc nodded. "Cyan protocol flagged his file. Do you know what is happening to him?"

"The nanos have completely taken over, slowly transforming him into one of us."

"Very well. Is my station still operational?" Sonicblaze gave Doc a nod. "Good, I will see to Novo. Any other humans that I should put on the list?"

"There is. Two adult males and a male child." Sonicblaze held his hand up to stop Doc's protesting. "He came with one of Prime's men."

Doc's eyes got real wide. "You found one awake?"

Sonicblaze nodded. "You can say he found us. Lets just hope the others will be as easy."

**Several Hours Later**

As Mirror Blade's body entered Earth's atmosphere his outer shell began to break apart causing him to grunt in pain. Soon his armor began to heat up making the journey even more uncomfortable. However, once he broke through he was greeted by an intense cold but thankfully his comet form was built to withstand even the harshest of conditions.

"Land as close as you can to each other!" Mirror Blade allowed his on-board computer to guide him to the designated landing zone. "Hang on, this is going to hurt!"

The ground came quickly and when Mirror Blade's body made impact he let out a loud grunt of disapproval. He gave his systems a few minutes to calibrate themselves before folding his body out from the crater. All around him he could hear as the others touched down, their landings causing a loud thud to reverberate through the desolate landscape.

Torque arched his back causing the joints to loudly pop as they went into place. "We really have to come up with a better way to travel."

"Right now we need to find alt-modes. There is a town, about forty-eight clicks from here. Lets move out and see what we can find."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Kansas **

A loud knock on his door made Allen grumble as he pulled himself out from the bunk he was sleeping in. He had wanted to get some rest before heading to New Mexico in the morning but it looks like that won't happen any time soon. Whoever was at his door better have something important to tell him.

"This better be good." Allen said, his voice gruff from sleep.

"Sorry to wake you sir, but the test results came back." Dr. Redman handed Allen a sheet of paper. "The blue blood found at the crime scene is near identical to the robot's."

This bit of news woke Allen up right away. "Let me see that." He scanned the paper, a smile on his face. "And what about the comets? Where did they land?"

"New Mexico. Why?"

Allen's smile grew even bigger as he went to get his overnight bag. "Because I'm starting to see a pattern forming."

**Near Freedom Base **

Outside in the cool night air Mimic stood on top of a mesa, his optics scanning the area around him. He saw the Decepticons crash to Earth and knew a fight was on its way. Just thinking about his treacherous brother made him flick his wrists so his kusarigamas came out. Shame they shared a spark or he would have killed Mirror Blade many cycles ago.

Mimic began to pace the flat service, his feet thudding against the packed dirt. When will Mirror Blade attack? He hated waiting, it was monotonous and got him on edge. Unfortunately his brother was the complete opposite, preferring to wait in order to formulate the perfect plan.

"So far they seem to be getting alt-forms." Reported Echo from miles above Earth. "The team is definitely made up of Mirror Blade's best."

"Great that means Procax is with them."

"Affirmative." Echo confirmed. "I already let Sonicblaze know. Keep your optics open, they're starting to move out."

**XXXX **

After hours of working with the suit Anderson was ready to give up. Novo and Mark both made it look so easy, unfortunately that was far from being the case for him. For some unknown reason Anderson could not get use to the extra weight and found himself tripping over his own feet. Eventually he just sat down with a huff, took off the helmet and began to sulk.

Mark went up to him and knelt down, his matte-black suit menacing to look at especially with the helmet on.

"How are you able to pick this up so quickly?" Anderson asked as he looked at the helmet's Cybertronian lettering. "I just can't seem to get the weight down."

"Not sure, almost kind of came natural to me." Mark turned his head as Novo came walking up to them. "Novo, will Spencer get a suit?"

Novo shook his head. "Not yet, he's still too small for my son's old one."

Doc came into the room, his pace showing the men he was in a hurry. "Mark, I need to see you now."

Anderson slowly got back to his feet, the weight of the suit almost pulling him back down. "Guess I'll continue to train."

Novo pulled off his helmet, a gentle smile on his face. "You'll get use to it, don't worry. You're suit is the heaviest because of the cannons in the arms."

"My suit has cannons?" Anderson looked down at the forest green armor with amazement. "Wow, too cool!"

Once his friend started on movement drills with Novo, Mark made his way to the medical bay. On the display before him, inside the helmet there were several graphs, numbers and a targeting system. His suit's name was Shadow, a fitting name since it was built as a sniper unit. Wonder if he'll be going on missions with Naito or Echo?

After he walked into the large room Mark took off his helmet then proceeded to make his way towards Doc's little corner. With the older man was Beaker and Perceptor, both looking at a screen with human DNA displayed on it.

"Come here, Mark." Mark went up to Doc, his suit making him nearly two feet taller than the latter. "How is the suit?"

"It's great. I seem to be picking it up pretty quickly."

Doc let out a heavy sigh as he sat down on a stool before a computer console. "I may have the answers to that."

Mark didn't like where this was going and looked up at Beaker for a clearer answer. "What does he mean?"

Beaker knelt down to be closer to Mark's height, his face showing concern. "We noticed anomalies in your DNA."

"What does that mean?" Mark repeated.

Perceptor shook his head. "It looks like your father has found a way to alter your genetic make-up."

Mark was thankful to have the suit on, it was the only thing preventing him from collapsing to the floor.

"But...I passed all the physical exams for school and I don't bleed blue blood so what do you mean by altered genetics?"

Beaker gave Mark's suit a gentle tap with his index finger. "Altered so you could be one with Shadow." He shook his head as a smile spread across his face. "I have never seen anything like it before. But that is why working with the suit comes so natural to you." The Autobot doctor pointed back at the screen. "You have increased neuron response time that lines up with Shadow's suit processor speeds. So essentially, your brain and it's computer think as one."

Mark held up his arms, moved his fingers then slowly put his helmet back on. The display instantly lit up, illuminating his face with it's red glow. Part of him wanted to hate his dad but the other, wanted to thank him. Apparently he was never meant to be a stockbroker. Like the machines before him he was adapted for war and had a greater purpose in life.

**Several Miles Away **

After his team got suitable alt-modes Mirror Blade began the journey towards a back up base. Though he chose a 1966 Corvette model he had no problems navigating through the barren desert. Beside him, as a Ford Raptor Procax made quick work of any cactus that crossed his path.

"I'm seeing nothing for miles, Mirror Blade." Reported Delta from above. "How are things down there?"

"Uneventful." Mirror Blade swerved to avoid a large boulder then transformed into his more natural state. "If my reports are accurate there should be a shuttle buried near here."

Procax transformed with a growl, his massive body towering over Mirror Blade. "I hope your right, because I see nothing here."

Mirror Blade let the comment slide as he was too busy with something more important. Shockwave had told him that the last Decepticons he sent left a prison transport buried in the desert. He brought up the coordinates and allowed his on-board computer to navigate him until he came upon the location.

He took a sword out from a compartment within his back then jammed it into the ground. Nothing. Apparently the shuttle was buried deep which means Torque and Procax had work to do. Without being told the two began to dig, their large hands making quick work of the loose dirt.

An hour had passed before they finally reached the hull of the ship and another thirty minutes to breach it. Once inside, Mirror Blade's team quickly dispersed, each of them knowing what was required of them.

"It's much larger than I had thought it would be." Said Delta as he stepped to Mirror Blade's side. "We're not too far from Sonicblaze's team."

Mirror Blade gave Delta a nod. "Only means we don't have much time to prep before Echo finds us."

**Later The Next Day **

Each suit was equipped with rocket boosters and the first time Novo had flown it was an exhilarating experience. Today was no different as he pushed Haymaker across the barren landscape of northern New Mexico. He did a few barrel rolls then arched his back to gain altitude.

"Sure have missed you, Novp."

"Same here, Haymaker." Novo used the boosters in his ankles and hands to stop the suit and get a view of the desert below him. "Mark is sure picking up Shadow's mechanics real quick." As if on cue the man flew by him, the matte finish of his armor making him nearly invisible. "How is Anderson doing?"

"Blitzkrieg is still grounded."

Novo leaned his head back, cut off all engine power and allowed his body to free fall until he was five hundred feet above the surface. Haymaker quickly brought the thrusters to life allowing for a graceful landing back to Earth.

"Haymaker, patch me through to Blitzkrieg." There was a series of beeps then the sound of an open line. "Anderson, what's going on?"

"Is it too late to say that I have a serious phobia of heights?"

"Don't worry, Blitzkrieg can have full control until you fill comfortable with the suit. Hear that Blitzkrieg, get the man in the air." There was a terrified scream as the suit did as ordered. "Don't worry, Anderson, it'll grow on you."

**XXXX **

While the humans trained with their suits Sonicblaze decided it was time to have a talk with Hound. He found the Autobot in the weapons room looking over the many rifles that were on the wall. Though many in Sonicblaze's team had specialized abilities it never hurt to have a back-up armory.

"Things sure have changed since we left Cybertron."

"Shockwave has made it pure hell for any Autobot that crosses his path." Sonicblaze shook his head as memories of his own imprisonment began to surface. "Tell me, how did you come out of stasis?"

Hound gave Sonicblaze a shrug. "Not real sure, a lot of those moments are real fuzzy to me." He held out his hand allowing a holographic image to come alive. "But I found myself here, half buried in the ground."

Sonicblaze took a close look at the image realizing it wasn't too far from their current location. "Where were you in the Ark before it crashed?"

"Running down a corridor..." Hound squinted his optics as he tried to bring back long, forgotten memories. "The Decepticons had breached our hull...we had to fight back. The last thing I remember, I was running down a corridor."

"So, Megatron is with the Autobots?" Hound nodded at Sonicblaze's question. "Not good. If he wakes up before we can get to Prime he'll kill the Autobot leader." Sonicblaze quickly reached out to study Hound as he began to sway. "You all right?"

Hound gave Sonicblaze a nod. "Yeah, just low on energon."

"Lets get you looked at by Beaker."

With Hound barely able to walk it took Sonicblaze much longer than he had wanted to get to the medical bay. Once there he was greeted by Perceptor who helped carry the Autobot to the nearest examine chair.

Beaker quickly ran up to began a full diagnostic on Hound's systems and once finished he shook his head.

"He's well below optimal levels." Beaker went for an energon hose but was stopped by Perceptor. "What? He needs fuel or he'll go into stasis!"

Perceptor shook his head. "With the extra bodies around here we are over exerting the energon converter as is."

Hound shook his head. "With my holographic systems I need more energon than most. Or this will happen."

Sonicblaze let out a heavy sigh of frustration. "How did you survive all those years on your own then?"

"Gasoline, but it clogged my systems up."

Sonicblaze let out a deep sigh as he took a small device out from his inner-arm. "I'm sorry, but for your own good and the good of us all."

He put the device against Hound's neck, pulled the trigger and sent a direct charge into the Autobot's circuits. This made Hound jerk a bit before he eventually went completely limp.

"Get Blade Runner in here and have him put Hound in a long-term stasis pod."

**Several Miles Away **

After a long and cramped flight on board a cargo plane Allen was grateful to stretch his legs. He really didn't want to bring his men into the mix but after seeing the test results he wanted to get things moving. After grabbing the few bags he brought with him, Allen made his way down the wide ramp and into the dry desert air.

"Mr. Tindale, sir." A young officer saluted as he approached Allen then stood at attention. "Your vehicle is prepped and ready to go."

"Good. Get Max and have him choose two of his best men. Then tell them to meet me at the car pool."

The soldier gave Allen a quick nod before spinning around to head towards the barracks. While he waited on them Allen decided to sit down at a picnic table to go over the test results Dr. Redman gave him before leaving.

Apparently the blue blood was eerily similar to the liquid that came out of the robot. But how was that possible? What did the machines do to that poor man?

He looked over a graph noticing several unknown substances were found in the man's blood. What was most intriguing to Allen was the lack of white or red blood cells. Hell the man didn't even appear to have any plasma so how was he still alive?

Allen put the paperwork back in it's folder then pulled out several photo stills taken from the security video of the general store. The man who he dubbed "Robosapian" didn't look at all special, except for his eyes. His eyes were an eerie blue color almost as though they were glowing.

"Who are you and what have they done to you?"

**Mirror Blade's Base **

Though the prison shuttle was on the small side it'll work for what Mirror Blade had in mind. Currently, he found himself in the stasis bay which could only hold twenty Autobots and all the pods were too small for Optimus Prime. If he ever found the Autobot leader he'll have to get creative on how he transported him back to Cybertron.

He took one last look around the room before he went into the command center where most of his team were currently working at their stations. Jabber spun around in his chair, quickly got up and gave Mirror Blade a salute.

"Got communications up and running, I should be able to patch you through to Shockwave."

Mirror Blade gave his communications officer a brief nod before turning his attention to the large screen before him. After several failed attempts static finally appeared quickly followed by Shockwave's menacing, purple optic.

"Mirror Blade, I see you found the shuttle."

"Yes, I did. Unfortunately, there are only twenty pods."

"I guess that means you will only be taking twenty Autobots then." The Decepticon leader leaned closer to the camera so his optic just about filled the entire screen. "Kill any of Prime's men that are not on this list." The screen changed to show the Autobots that Shockwave wanted. "Now, you better get moving. I didn't get you out of the Kaon Pits for nothing."

When the screen went dark Mirror Blade let out a deep breath then rested his hands on the console as his mind went back three cycles. It was then that he was betrayed by one of his own men and was sent to fight in the gladiatorial pits.

Mirror Blade pushed himself away from the console so he could get a better look at the list before him. Jazz, Ironhide, Prowl, Ratchet; the list went on to show every Autobot who had helped start the war on Cybertron.

"Delta, get your team ready. Looks like we need to get moving."

_Author's Note: Mimic's weapons is this wiki/Kusarigama_


End file.
